Born Again
by GallavichIsLife
Summary: Inspired by Athey's 'Rebirth'. Notes are inside. BEING RE-WRITTEN!
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: Hey guys. So this is my first fanfic and, unfortunately, it is not a Gallavich. It's an HP fic inspired by Athey's 'Rebirth'. So If this seems similar, that's probably why. I haven't read her version in a long time so I don't expect there to be too many similarities but all the same. :D I hope you enjoy the story. I won't bite reviewers…unless you're a flame._

_GallavichIsLife_

**Prologue**

St. Claire Orphanage

London, England

In the midst of an April rainstorm a woman, pregnant and sick, stumbled through the orphanage door. She was in labor and the nuns and other attendants quickly helped her into a room, calling for a midwife. They didn't know her name or where she'd come from and she didn't tell them where the child's father was. She wasn't the screaming sort, they found when she began to push the baby out. On the contrary, she'd been quiet as a mouse. Only speaking after the child had been born.

She hadn't been there an hour before the child was born. It was a boy. He had a light patch of black hair, hazel-blue eyes, and angelic features. He looked nothing like the woman that had birthed him, a woman that none could claim to be beautiful. His mother's best feature was her eyes, a feature she'd passed along to the boy. A boy she'd lived just barely long enough to name. Tom, after his father, Marvolo, after her own father, and Riddle. She hadn't said where she'd gotten Riddle from but they'd kept the name. It was all they could do. After all, the woman had died shortly after naming her son.

Four months later, another young boy was brought to St. Claire's. The head nun, Daphne, estimated that he was about the same age as Tom. The boy was brought in by a young woman who told them she'd found the baby on her doorstep. The only identification that the child possessed was his name, embroidered on the corner of his baby blanket. _Hadrian James. _An unusual name but he answered to it. They had no last name to connect with the first and middle names and so they'd given him the same last name as young Tom. Riddle. Hadrian James Riddle. The two shared a cot for nearly a year and even afterwards, the two naturally fell asleep together. They seemed perfectly content to share a bed…even now that Hadrian had his own.

Tom was a strange baby. Quiet. Hardly ever cried and when he did it was usually because he was tired. Hadrian, though, was the opposite. He was smaller than Tom but he had more energy. Still, Hadrian was the only one Tom connected with at all. The other children would get a cool glance or would be ignored by Tom. Hadrian, however, was never ignored or given the cool looks. When Hadrian was around, Tom was attentive and open. It was almost as if they really were brothers.

Early in July of 1938, Albus Dumbledore walked briskly down the London street. He was headed for an old orphanage called St. Claire's Orphanage. It was housed in an old brick building that looked to almost be falling apart. Albus wore a blue suit which wasn't very outlandish but his long auburn hair and beard certainly were and it was them that gained shocked looks and whispers. He walked up to the large front door and knocked twice. The young nun that answered the door allowed herself one shocked glance before schooling her features.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked.

"I have an appointment with Daphne Jones?"

"Oh. Come inside. Mrs. Jones is in her office. She'll be expecting you."

Albus stepped into the well-kept hallway and followed the young nun into a small room where an older woman sat. The woman, Daphne Blake, was drinking rum from a glass and only barely noticed their arrival.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Jones. My name is Albus Dumbledore."

"Good afternoon Mr. Dumbledore."

"As I said in my letter, I'm here to discuss Tom and Hadrian Riddle."

"Both of them? Are you family?" the woman asked, taking another rather large drink of rum.

"A teacher, actually. I've come to offer them a place at my school."

"What is your school's name?"

"Hogwarts. It's a private boarding school for special students. We believe Tom and Hadrian have what we look for."

"We can't afford to send them there, of course. We're low on funds as it is."

"You do not have to pay anything for them to go to my school. Their schooling is already paid for."

"You mean like a scholarship?"

"No. I myself paid for their schooling. All seven years are paid for already. I have plenty of money. Besides, Tom and Hadrian would do well at our school."

"All right then. I suppose everything's in order."

"Can you tell me about them? We'd like to know a little bit about them before they come to the school. Just so we know who to room them with and things of that nature."

"They're very close. Have been since they were babies. They don't talk much to the other kids and when they do it's usually a snide comment or two. I'd room them together, actually. That's how they're roomed here. They don't like being separated. They're odd children…"

"I knew they would be, of course. Odd in what way, though?"

"The other children are scared of them. They're bullies almost…but we never actually catch them at it. They can be downright cruel when they want to be."

"I'm sure they'll be fine at our school. We don't tolerate such things at Hogwarts."

The woman nodded around her rum. "We're not sad to see them go."

"They will return here for the summers, of course. Otherwise they'll be with us for the rest of the year."

"That's better than nothin' I suppose. Would you like to see them?"

"I would."

Mrs. Jones led Albus down a long hallway. Stopping outside a door, she knocked three times before entering. "This is their room." She paused and then said, "Tom? Hadrian? You've got a visitor. This is Mr. Dumbledore. He's come to tell you about a school."

Albus entered the room so that he was within view of the two young boys. The smaller boy, who was sitting cross legged on the other's bed, looked over and gave Albus an appraising look that was not altogether friendly. The taller boy, who was lying on the same bed, narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the old man. Albus smiled at them and closed the door behind him while taking in the boys' appearance. They looked alike. Both had black hair, though the one lying down had combed his back neatly while the other's hair was messy and looked like it hadn't ever seen a hairbrush. Tom had hazel-blue eyes while Hadrian had brilliant green eyes. Tom was also taller than Hadrian. Hadrian, who had been sitting at the foot of the bed, moved to sit closer to Tom who was now sitting up.

"How are you?" Albus asked, holding out his hand.

The smaller boy, who Albus believed was Hadrian, glanced briefly at the other boy before shaking Albus' hand.

"Are you Hadrian or Tom?" Albus asked just to be sure.

The smaller boy narrowed his eyes before answering. "I'm Hadrian."

Tom didn't shake Albus' hand. Instead he nodded at him once and turned to sit back on the bed again. A few seconds later, Hadrian followed suit.

"My name is Professor Dumbledore."

"Professor? Is that like a doctor? Why have you come? Did **she **get you in to check on us?" Tom asked, eyes narrowing. He pointed towards Mrs. Jones' office.

"No. Definitely not."

"I don't think I believe you. She's always hated us. Wanted us locked up somewhere." Hadrian said, looking over at Tom with wide eyes.

Tom's eyes had hardened as he was glaring at Albus. Albus made no response except to smile at the boys.

"Who are you? Tell the truth!" Tom's voice was filled with silent command.

"I have told you. My name is Professor Dumbledore. I work at a school called Hogwarts. It could be your school as well if you would like."

Tom's reaction to this was probably the most surprising thing Albus had seen in quite some time. He leapt from the bed and stood directly in front in front of Hadrian, his posture protective.

"You can't lie to me. You're obviously from the crazy-house. We're not going." Tom said as Hadrian put a gentle hand on his back.

"I am not from the crazy house. I am a teacher and I would like to tell you about the school if you'd sit down so we can discuss this calmly."

"I don't…"

Hadrian, sensing danger, grabbed a hold of Tom's shoulder and pushed him to the side. Tom looked at him and they held a silent conversation before Tom sat down beside Hadrian once more.

"Hogwarts is a school for people with special abilities."

"We're not mad old man!" Tom snapped.

"I know you are not. Hogwarts is a school of magic not madness."

There was a silence. Tom's expression was frozen but his eyes flickered to Hadrian, silently trying to ask what he thought of the whole thing.

"Magic?" Hadrian

"What we can do is magic?"

"That depends on what you can do."

"All sorts of things." Hadrian said, excitement on his face. "We can move things without even touching them. Hadrian appeared on the roof from the ground, we can make animals do what I want without training, bad things happen to people who hurt us.

"I knew I was different." Tom whispered, hands shaking.

"Well you were quite right. You are both wizards." Albus was no longer smiling but watching the two boys closely.

"Are you a wizard too?" Hadrian asked, voice almost cold.

Tom's head lifted and he met Hadrian's wild eyes with a grin.

Albus nodded. "I am a wizard."

"Prove it."

Albus raised an eyebrow. "Are you accepting your places at Hogwarts?"

"Of course!" Tom said, voice hard.

"Then you will address me as 'professor' or 'sir'."

Tom's expression hardened for a brief second before he said in a voice that was not quite polite, "I'm sorry sir. Could you please show us some magic?"

Hadrian smirked lightly at Tom before flashing a polite smile at Albus.

Albus pulled his wand out and pointed it at the shabby dresser in the corner. The dresser burst into flames. Tom and Hadrian jumped to their feet, both howling in instant rage. A moment later, the flames vanished and the dresser was completely fine. Tom looked from the dresser to Albus, his expression suddenly greedy. Hadrian's eyes were also drawn to the small wooden stick, though his expression was more curious than greedy.

Pointing at the wand he asked, "Where do I get one of those?"

"You'll get one soon." Albus said, "I think something is trying to escape your dresser."

Sure enough, a rattling sound could be heard from inside the dresser. Tom, for the first time, looked quite frightened. Albus watched Hadrian's face as his eyes widened in horror and he shared a fearful look with Tom.

"Open it." Albus said, smiling calmly.

Hadrian hesitated before walking calmly to the dresser and opening one of the drawers. A small cardboard box was shaking and rattling as though something were trapped inside.

"Take it out."

Hadrian took the box out of the dresser and handed it to Tom, looking only slightly unnerved.

"Is there anything in there that does not belong to you."

Both boys looked at Albus with cold, almost calculating looks.

"I suppose so." Hadrian said, his voice icy.

"Open the box."

Tom dumped the box onto his bed, not looking at them. Once out of the box, they stopped jumping around.

"You will return them to their owners with your apologies. I will know when it has been done. We do not tolerate thieves and bullies at Hogwarts."

Neither boy looked remotely sorry. They stared coldly at Albus. After a few moments, they boys nodded. The motion was in sync and yet did not look practiced. It was simply something they'd done since they'd first met and, after a while, it became habit. Something they did out of routine.

"We teach you to control magic at Hogwarts. You have been using your powers in a way that is not tolerated in our world. You are certainly not the first to do this nor will you be the last. But you should know that Hogwarts can expel students. The Ministry of Magic will punish any lawbreakers most severely. As new wizards, you must accept this."

"Of course sir." Hadrian said, sharing a look with Tom.

It was utterly impossible to tell what the boys were thinking as they put the small group of stolen objects back into the cardboard box. Their faces were blank but they seemed to be holding a silent conversation. When they stood up, Tom turned to Albus and said in a quiet voice, "We do not have any money."

"There is an easy fix for that." Albus said as he pulled two leather money pouches from his jacket pocket. "There is a trust fund at Hogwarts for situations like this one. You may have to buy your spell books and things second hand but they'll work."

"Where do you buy spell books?" Hadrian asked.

"In Diagon Alley. I have your school lists with me. I can help you find anything you need, of course."

"You'll be coming with us?" Hadrian asked, looking up at Albus.

"Only if you need me to."

"That won't be necessary. We prefer to do things for ourselves." Tom said.

"How do you get into this Diagon Alley Professor?" Hadrian asked, catching Tom's eye.

Albus explained to the boys exactly how to get into Diagon Alley and the handed them their school letters and equipment lists. Hadrian read through the letters enclosed quickly and looked to Tom. Tom, who had already done the same, nodded at him. Again, the two shared a silent conversation before Tom spoke in a slightly hesitant tone.

"I can speak to snakes. Is that normal?"

Albus paused for a moment, eyes lingering on Tom's face. "It's unusual but it has happened in the past." Was all he said.

Albus stared at Tom for a few moments before speaking again, this time from the doorway.

"I will the two of you at Hogwarts. Have a nice summer boys."

Throughout the next week, the two boys spent a lot of time in Diagon Alley. At first, they simply explored and checked prices on what they'd need. It wasn't long, however, until they were ready to buy what they needed. Tom took care of most of the actual buying, of course, while Hadrian simply picked things out. Most of their purchases that weren't school-related came from an alley called 'Knockturn Alley'. It was a dark alley and much more adult than Diagon but it had quite a few interesting storefronts. The first thing they purchased was, of course, their wands. It took about an hour for both of them to find the right wand but, once they had, they thanked Ollivander and left the shop. It turned out, of course, that the wands they'd chosen were brother-wands. They were both yew, thirteen and a half inches, with phoenix feathers from the same phoenix. The boys thanked Ollivander before heading off to find other stores.

When it came time for the two boys to board the train, they walked through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 with ease. For a moment afterwards, they stood staring up at the train with wide, wonder-filled eyes. When they finally boarded the train, they searched for an empty compartment and, upon finding one; they locked it so that no one else could come into their compartment. Tom pulled out a book and began reading as Hadrian watched the scenery fly by, a book lying discarded on his lap.

"Tom?" Hadrian asked after a while, his voice quiet.

Tom looked up at him. "Yes?"

"What if we're sorted into different houses?"

The question had been what Hadrian had been most worried about. He didn't know anyone else in the wizarding world and being in two different houses would be terrifying for Hadrian.

"We won't be. Our personalities are too similar. We'll be sorted into the same house. Probably Slytherin because, from what I've read, that's the house our personalities fit into best. Don't worry too much Hadrian."

Hadrian nodded and picked up his book. It was his History of Magic book. He'd finished all the other school books but this one had been longer than the rest.

Soon, they were arriving at the boats that would take them to the school. Tom and Hadrian climbed into a boat with two other students but did not join in the excited conversation that was being held by the other students. Instead, they sat silently on the way to the castle.

The man that had brought them in the boats knocked on the door and it was answered by Albus who smiled serenely and led them in to stand in the entry hall. Soon, they were called to line up near a beat up looking hat on a stool.

"Riddle, Hadrian." Albus called and Hadrian gave one last smirk at Tom before sitting on the stool.

Tom watched, almost anxiously, as the hat sat on his head for less than 10 seconds before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

A few students were clapping as Hadrian made his way to the Slytherin table. He watched, a little worried, as Tom's name was called and he too sat upon the stool. The hat sat on his head for less than a second before shouting out, "SLYTHERIN!"

Hadrian's smirk reappeared as Tom headed towards him. Taking a seat beside Hadrian, Tom have him a smirk as two other older students were sorted. As they began to eat, Hadrian noticed that several of the students were sneering and scowling at them.

"What's their problem, Tom?" Hadrian asked when he'd finally gotten tired of it.

"Our last name, of course." Tom answered, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

"What's wrong with our last name?"

"It's muggle. They think we're muggleborns."

"Why does it matter? We're wizards."

"This is Slytherin, Hadrian. Do you remember what I told you about Salazar Slytherin?"

"Erm…no?"

"Salazar Slytherin hated muggles. It's why he left the school." Tom explained, giving Hadrian an exasperated smile.

"Oh. Well we'll have to prove ourselves worthy then."

"I was just about to say the same thing, Hadrian."

Hadrian shared a smirk with Tom as he began to eat. They would prove themselves, of course. And they would change the wizarding world itself.


	2. Chapter One

_AN: Hey guys. Here's the first chapter of Born Again. I'm sort of following what I remember of Athey's story while also adding elements of my own in. I hope you're enjoying it. _

_Gallavich is Life_

**Chapter One**

Hogwarts may have been better than the orphanage but it wasn't exactly easy for Tom and Hadrian. Over at the orphanage, they were unique, different. They scared their bullies into silence. Here, however, they were first years. First years were the weakest in the school. Still, they were the strongest out of the first years which did gain them some advantage over the people that bullied them here. They were at the top of their classes, usually tying for first place.

They stayed at the school for the winter holidays because they didn't have to go back to the orphanage for the three week break. They gave each other simple gifts, books, and received some gifts in return from other students. Boxes of chocolates from a girl they'd helped in Potions, a few books from a housemate they'd helped in Defense. And it was from this that they learned how helpful it was to 'help' their housemates. The Slytherins came from rich families, they had easy access to family money. More, they had access to books and knowledge. Tom spent his second term worming his way into the esteem of the more powerful, influential and wealthy of his housemates. Hadrian, of course, followed right behind. There were still many people who openly disliked Tom and Hadrian but there were many more who saw that they were powerful and respected their power over their assumed blood status.

The pair could often be found helping Lucretia and Walburga Black, a set of cousins were a year ahead of them. The Black family was a powerful old family and were staunch blood purists. The fact that they could move beyond their blood status to ask for their assistance was enough to gain the respect of the rest of their house.

The end of first year was hard for the two. They had both done remarkably well on their exams and their house had won the House Cup…but any joy in the pair was lost as they returned to the orphanage for the summer.

Back at the orphanage, Tom and Hadrian were not greeted with kindness. The older children taunted them and shoved them around. Tom and Hadrian now had no way to fight back due to being unable to use magic outside of school. With this rule and the threat of expulsion that came with it, the boys were left with no way to protect themselves from their bullies.

Tom and Hadrian using their ability to speak to them, managed to intimidate the other children using snakes. Hadrian was still smaller than Tom and the older boys liked to single him out. Tom couldn't be there all the time…which angered him. By the end of the summer, Tom had committed himself to finding some way to stay away from the orphanage all together.

In September, the return to Hogwarts was a relief. The pair slipped quite quickly back into the routine that they'd come up with over the previous year. Their teachers were happy to see them, with the exception of Dumbledore who seemed to be eternally suspicious of the pair. Their head of house, Horace Slughorn, was smitten with the two of them as well. Tom, being the more outgoing and dominant of the pair, drew the most attention.

While their classmates had respected their academic prowess the previous year, they began to gain respect in other areas this year. Tom and Hadrian were also among the most magically powerful in school and, because of this, they gained a following. Their roommates, Walter Gibbon, Aldous Baddock, and Casper Crouch took to sitting with the pair at mealtimes and study hours. Even Drusilla Rosier, formerly one of their biggest rivals, began sitting with them.

It was during one of their few study sessions alone that Tom stumbled across a book that would bring about an obsession to last decades.

"Hadrian look at this!"

Tom came flying around the corner, carrying a book. Hadrian looked up from his own book, blinked twice, and sighed. He was wondering, albeit silently, what had gotten Tom so excited. It was exceedingly rare for Tom to show that much emotion in a public setting. Normally, Tom kept his emotions tightly locked away. Outwardly, Tom was polite, respectful young man. Yet, deep down, he was aggressive, cruel, and ambitious. Still, Hadrian found that he preferred Tom's dark side, the protective, possessive, and cruel side that he chose to keep hidden. It was this side that Hadrian found he had no problem with even though it was commonly referred to as a bad thing.

Tom had the slight tendency to collect things. Anything he considered 'his' he protected beyond anything else. Hadrian had grown accustomed to being Tom's most precious and treasured possessions and actually liked it. He liked being protected and possessed by Tom. It would have sounded weird to anyone else, he knew, but Tom was his every bit as much as Hadrian was Tom's.

"What is it, Tom?" Hadrian asked quietly.

"This is really incredible, Hadrian!"

"Tell me what it is and I'll let you know what I think." Hadrian replied with an air of resignation.

"Look at this."

Hadrian looked down at the book that Tom had placed in front of him. After a few moments, he raised his head and gave Tom a wide-eyed look.

"Parseltongue?" he asked.

"Yes. That's what we can do. It's also a blood-trait. The only family line ever been known to carry it is the Slytherin line!"

"We're descended from the Slytherin line!" Hadrian gasped dramatically, looking down at the book again.

"Yes!"

"That's brilliant Tom!"

"There's still more, though. Read the next page."

Hadrian flipped his eyes back to the book and read the passage. When he looked up, Tom's eyes were sparkling with joy.

"The Chamber of Secrets? You think it really exists?"

Tom gave a nod. "I do. And, because we're his descendants, we'll be able to open it. We can continue Salazar's noble work!"

"We can rid the school of mudbloods!"

"Exactly!" Tom said, beaming at Hadrian happily.

Hadrian gave Tom a smirk as they both settled down into reading about Parseltongue.

Where before Tom and Hadrian had hidden their ability, they now had no hesitation in showing the other students. Any hesitation that had remained in regards to showing them respect vanished with the first demonstration of their ability. It was kept, of course, within Slytherin house. Still, word spread about the two Slytherin Heirs. It was a title that both Tom and Hadrian accepted with ease.

Tom and Hadrian stayed at the top of their classes and continued to milk their newfound fame. Building alliances with classmates and searching every single inch of the school for the Chamber of Secrets.

The year passed too quickly and soon the boys were headed back to the orphanage. When they returned to the orphanage, they were greeted by Father Mark, the worst of all the priests. He'd been out of Britain for several years and was returning for good now. Father Mark had been known to abuse the younger boys. Hadrian and Tom were now at the right age for Father Mark's affections.

In order to stay away from him, Tom tried to keep Hadrian out of the orphanage as much as possible. They'd escape to Diagon Alley and London. But, exactly one month into their summer holidays, it happened.

Tom, who had somehow gotten separated from Hadrian, was walking down the hallways of the orphanage looking for his surrogate brother. He was passing Father Mark's rooms when he heard a familiar yelp. Hadrian. Tom stumbled inside and was greeted with a crying Hadrian. On top of Hadrian was a very naked Father Mark.

"GET OFF OF HIM YOU MUGGLE ARSEHOLE!" Tom shouted.

There was a gust of wind and Father Mark toppled off of Hadrian who rushed over to stand behind Tom, straightening his clothes as he went.

Tom, of course, got a warning from the Ministry of Magic for using magic near muggles.

Tom had saved Hadrian that day and yet Hadrian couldn't save Tom. That night, Tom was forcibly removed from his bedroom by a group of nuns. Some of the other nuns stayed behind to restrain Hadrian.

Tom refused to talk about what had happened but Hadrian knew what had happened, of course. Tom had been raped. By Father Mark. After the incident, Tom and Hadrian refused to be apart for even a moment. And, on the morning of September 1st, both boys were relieved as they headed for the train station.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Third year at Hogwarts was both productive and frustrating. They had gotten invited to attend what was called the 'Slug Club' which was a gathering of students who were seen as powerful or influential. It was headed by the Slytherin Head of House, Horace Slughorn and was full of people from every house.

Tom's power and influence continued to grow and Hadrian was seen as his right hand man, receiving a ton of respect in his own right. They continued to excel in their classes and had even joined the Dueling Club in which they were matched with Sixth Year students.

One thing that frustrated them both, however, was the search for the Chamber of Secrets. They continued to search the school, even using the three weeks of winter holidays, to search near the other common rooms. Still, they found nothing.

Once more Tom tried to convince Professor Dumbledore to allow them to remain in the castle over the holidays. It seemed, though, that Dumbledore was more suspicious of them than he ever had. He denied them once more.

That summer, Tom was almost murdered by one of the older boys. Hadrian, out of pure desperation, had apparated them to St. Mungo's. The act had earned Hadrian a warning and Tom had yelled at him. Hadrian, though, had only yelled back. He told him that he'd never just watch Tom die and to shut up.

The two were invited to visit the Black family house in London, thanks to Lucretia. While there, they were introduced to her brother Orion who would be starting Hogwarts that September. Finally, Hadrian and Tom could explore the Black Family Library.

Lucretia, who had a crush on Hadrian, hung on the smaller boy's every word. Hadrian, of course, seemed to be oblivious to this fact. Tom had mixed feelings about Lucretia's little crush. One the one hand, it did gain them access to the Black Family collection of Dark Arts books. But on the other hand, whenever she would so much as touch Hadrian, Tom felt like ripping her apart for daring to touch what he'd claimed as his own.

Lucretia and Orion's mother Lyra was enamored with Tom and Hadrian. This turned out to be beneficial because, while looking through the library, they found several books that would be of great use to them. They couldn't remove them from the library but Lyra could make copies of the books for them. Something she offered to do after having a long conversation with Tom and Hadrian about the books they'd discovered.

They spent nearly the entire summer at Black Manor before September 1st and they all took the Floo to Kings Cross.

September the first had fallen on Friday that year and so they had Saturday and Sunday to prepare for classes. Hadrian and Tom, naturally, took advantage of the time to sequester themselves away with the books they'd gotten from the Black Manor. Hadrian had gotten one that he'd treasure for years to come called a Necromancer's Grimoire. Tom had gotten a book about Horcruxes. They were supposed to be an object that you placed part of your soul in so that you could avoid death. Having been thoroughly shaken by his experience with death, Tom was determined to defy it.

This year, like the last, the pair continued to search for the Chamber of Secrets. They didn't find it…but they did find something else that both of them found incredible.

Hadrian and Tom were coming back from the Restricted section of the library after spending most of the evening cross referencing things out of their Dark Arts books. They'd decided to wander the castle a bit and were on the seventh floor when they heard the telltale sounds of the caretaker heading towards them. They were searching for a place to hide their books when a door suddenly appeared in front of them. They walked inside and hid their books, deciding to come back for them the next day.

The next morning, they discovered that the room could be whatever they needed or wanted it to be. It was a discovery that they would come to use many times in the coming years.

The remainder of their fourth year passed quickly. They visited the Room of Requirement many times, finding many things that were useful to the two orphans. Books about the Dark Arts, trunks with fine robes, even money.

"You're always reading that book." Tom said as they sat in the Room of Requirement together one evening.

"Well, it is quite fascinating."

"I don't doubt it. But there **are **other books, you realize."

Hadrian rolled his eyes. "I know. But this one is most interesting. There's so many concepts I've never considered. The spirit plane, rebirth, it's all so fascinating."

Tom gave Hadrian an odd look. "Rebirth?"

"Truly powerful Necromancers can actually call the soul of a dead person back into the physical plane and back into a living body. It's brilliant."

Tom pursed his lips. "Let me see that book."

Eager to have his best friend understand what he did, Hadrian held the book out. Tom took it and opened it to the first page and began reading, not knowing that this would change the course of their history.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Summer came and the two friends returned to London. During their first week back, they spent much of their time in a store called 'Borgin and Burkes' which seemed to be a pawn shop for dark or illegal items. The man that ran the store was…hard to barter with but Tom managed it and within a week they had enough money to spend on food and hotel rooms. They only went back to the orphanage on the weekends to save money and to stop people from getting suspicious.

Soon enough, though, summer ended and they were headed back to Hogwarts for their fifth year.

The train ride to Hogwarts was boring for Hadrian because Tom, who had been made male prefect, spent most of it in the prefect meeting. Hadrian spent much of the time reading and listening to Aster Malfoy, a young woman in their year, talk about Tom. The girl obviously had a crush on Tom and Hadrian had to laugh at her. She really had no chance. Tom, like Hadrian, was into boys. Not girls. Still, when Tom walked in and the girl started to hang all over him, Hadrian wanted to rip her off and tear her to bits. He didn't do it, of course, but the thought was there.

Term quickly got into full speed and the two got settled into their school routines. Hadrian had finally talked Tom into believing in the idea of rebirth and the two were avidly studying the Necromantic Arts together. Both were magically powerful and would hopefully be able to manage rebirth should one or both of them die.

In October, the Slug Club had a dance and Tom and Hadrian came together. They'd originally intended to go with other people, girls, but Tom had asked Hadrian instead. Their attraction to one another was ignored, of course, because each believed that the other liked someone else.

The Yule Holidays arrived and, thankfully, the school emptied. Tom searched for the Chamber while Hadrian went back to the Room of Hidden Things. He collected a sizable stack of books to look through with Tom and even some more pouches of money as well.

The next day, he'd changed the room into a place for him and Tom to practice their necromancy skills. After testing out a few Dark spells to make sure he wouldn't be caught, he ran to tell Tom. As he was running to meet him, he ran into Tom himself. Tom was, if possible, even more excited than Hadrian was.

"I found it!" Tom exclaimed.

Hadrian blinked. "What did you find?"

"The Chamber of Secrets!" Tom whispered frantically, looking around for passers by.

"You're not serious!"

"No, I really did find it."

"Where?"

"It's in the girls lavatory!"

"Are you serious? The girls lavatory? That's…an odd place."

"I know!"

"Have you gone down there yet?"

Tom smiled. "Of course not. I wanted to wait for you to come with me."

"I've discovered something rather interesting as well." Hadrian said, remembering about the Room of Requirement.

"What is it?"

Hadrian explained what he'd discovered in a hushed whisper, watching as Tom's eyes widened with every word he said.

"That sounds amazing."

"We'll have to do some more research after we explore the Chamber of Secrets."

"Tomorrow we'll go down there. Dinner is soon and if we aren't there Dumbledore will be suspicious. We can't afford him to be any more suspicious than he already is. He won't mind if we miss lunch on a Saturday. We always miss lunch on Saturdays."

"Meaning we can spend all day down there."

"Exactly." Tom agreed, a feral grin on his face.

The next day, the two boys got up early. As soon as they'd finished their breakfast, they escaped to the second floor girls bathroom. Hadrian let Tom do the Parseltongue speaking and watched as the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets opened.

The two made their way down a set of steps (it had been a slide at first but Hadrian had quickly changed that) and into the Chamber, closing it behind them. Using their wands, they illuminated the path before them and stared around at their surroundings.

Making their way down a long tunnel, they came to a door with large serpents on it. Hadrian hissed at it and, a moment later, the snakes started moving across the door. The chamber itself was a large temple room with rows of pillars and carved serpents. The boys stared, awe-struck, at the room around them.

They began to search the room, looking for any sign of what Slytherin's monster could be. There were more tunnels extending from the room, but they all just circled back to connect with the main chamber. Most of them seemed to be filled with the skeletal remains of small animals.

After a while, they found another door. This one was the entrance to Slytherin's private library. On the door, there was a set of instructions on how to bring the Basilisk out. Hadrian nearly had a coronary at the word Basilisk and Tom smirked. They should have realized Slytherin's monster would be the King of Serpents.

Tom and Hadrian entered the library together. The room was huge, almost as big as the main chamber, with rows and rows and rows of books. In the center of the room was a huge desk with papers littering it. Indeed, it looked as though Salazar Slytherin would come in at any moment and sit down at the desk. The two boys looked at each other, amazed. This was all theirs. All of this, including the basilisk, belonged to them. It was, of course, an amazing feeling.

The next day, Hadrian and Tom went to the Room of Requirement together. Summoning the practice room, Hadrian and Tom went inside and spent many hours

practicing their necromancy spells and more dark arts.

The two split their time between the ROR and Slytherin's library. One book in particular had the two of them almost overly excited. It was a Necromancer's Grimoire, older than the one they'd obtained from the Black Library. It reeked of powerful dark magic and had belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself. The two spent many hours in the ROR together, practicing the many spells and rituals that were written in the Grimoire.

Still, even though he was interested in the Necromantic Arts, Tom had decided on another form of immortality. Horcruxes. Hadrian, while he didn't necessarily approve, couldn't say he was disappointed. Tom would have to kill people in order to actually make his Horcruxes and, while Hadrian didn't care about that, he didn't want Tom to end up in Azkaban. Still, Tom assured him that he wouldn't and Hadrian believed him. Tom was charismatic and a people pleaser. Someone like Tom would never end up in Azkaban because he could easily talk his way out of it.

While Tom continued his research into Horcruxes, Hadrian began to practice more Necromantic Arts. He'd discovered how to induce the trance necessary to begin transporting his conscious mind along the tether that connected his physical body to his astral body in the astral plane. The astral plane was, of course, the foundation for all more advanced necromantic magical exploration. It was dangerous to tamper with these things but Hadrian was good at it and, normally at least, had Tom there to help him. He was certain he could pull off Immortality via reincarnation.

Tom continued to pour most of his time into the Slytherin Library. While down there, he'd found a way – a mixture of potion, charm, and ritual – to magically generate a family tree. It had apparently been created by Salazar Slytherin himself and was often used for orphans who had no idea who their parents had been. By April, they had determined everything necessary and had begun ordering their ingredients they would need for the two potions – one for each of them with their blood as the key ingredient. The potions would take a month to brew but, once it was done, all they had to do was soak a piece of parchment in the potion and perform a few charms on it. Immediately afterwards, their heritages would be known. They'd gotten permission from Professor Slughorn to use one of the empty classrooms in the dungeons to brew and had even gotten him to lock the door.

When the potions were done, it turned out that Hadrian was a pureblood while Tom was a half-blood. Tom's father was a muggle and his mother a nearly-squib witch. Tom had been utterly disgusted by this but Hadrian had scoffed and told him he was just overreacting. The one good thing that came out of it, though, was that Tom was indeed related to Slytherin himself. His mother's family, the Gaunts, were the last living relatives of Salazar Slytherin.

Hadrian's full name was really Hadrian Lucifer Novak. The Novak family was one of the oldest and most respected in the wizarding world but, sadly, there were none of them left. The Novak family had been murdered. No one had ever solved the murder, either. So Hadrian was a Pureblood with no family. Still, he was a pureblood which was a sight better than a muggleborn as Tom pointed out. With his pureblood status came wealth. The Novak family had been among the wealthiest families in the Wizarding World and, when Hadrian showed them the Heritage Parchment, he was given a key to the family vault.

The two travelled to London during the summer holidays. The first thing they did, of course, was go to Gringotts to check out Hadrian's new vault. There were more galleons in there than Hadrian had ever seen in his entire life. There were also a few books and family items that had been stored in the vault. One document was the deed to a house called Novak Manor. Hadrian had a house. One he would definitely be sharing with Tom. The two went back to the orphanage that night, eager to return to London and Hadrian's manor the next morning.

The next morning, they met with Ragnock, the Goblin in charge of Hadrian's family accounts, to get a portkey to the mansion. It was a quick process, only three papers to sign, and they activated the portkey with beating hearts. When they got there, they were amazed at what they saw. The Mansion was a castle. Almost bigger than Hogwarts.

The two boys spent all day exploring the mansion before calling it a night. Instead of returning to the orphanage, the two boys decided to stay in the castle that night. The next morning, they were paying a visit to Tom's "family". That would be the first murder Tom ever committed himself. (We're not, of course, counting the girl the basilisk killed for him, of course.)


	5. Chapter Four

_AN: Hey guys. So I've decided that Tom WILL have his Horcruxes. Which will be how Harry brings him back. There will be a slight difference, though. He only makes one Horcrux, at Hadrian's insistence that he not tear his soul into that many pieces. Now that I've said this I'll move on to my second piece. I've had a flamer. She reviewed in Spanish and, after I had a friend translate what she'd said, I realized she was flaming. I do not care if you don't like the story or think of it as "summarizing Athey's work" I am writing this because it pleases me.__ My writing is naturally short and to the point. I'm not summarizing anything, I'm simply writing as I always do. If you'd read some of my other work, you'd realize that.__ Please do not review again as I will not hesitate to delete your review. Thank you and good day. To the reviewer that DOES like this story, I'm so happy you like it and thank you SO SO much for your review. _

_GallavichIsLife_

**Chapter Four**

The two returned to school for their sixth year at Hogwarts shortly after Tom killed his muggle father and grandparents. Tom was ecstatic at having created a Horcrux finally. He'd created it out of his father's death and, the result was a necklace that tom had given to Hadrian to keep safe. Hadrian wore it around his neck at all times, hiding it when they were back at school under his robes.

Tom had wanted to create more than one of them but Hadrian, knowing the damage that would do to his soul, had insisted that Tom leave it at one. Grudgingly, Tom had agreed to leave it at one Horcrux providing no one destroyed the one he'd already created.

Minerva McGonagall had become Head Girl that year and, as she'd hated Tom since the moment they'd met, she seemed quite determined to make Tom's life miserable. It was working too. After every prefect meeting, Tom would come back even more incensed than the day before. It got to the point where Hadrian wondered how much longer Minerva would even live. Tom hated her...hated ninety percent of the Gryffindor's actually.

In early May, Hadrian and Tom's relationship changed forever. They'd been in the room of Hidden things, relaxing after a day of classes. Tom, who had known for quite some time that he was in love with Hadrian, had decided to make his first move. He fully believed that Hadrian would let him down easy, tell him that he only saw Tom as a brother, but it was a move that he had to make.

Hadrian was laying across Tom's lap, eyes half-closed in relaxation. Tom bent his head and Hadrian watched as Tom joined their lips. At first, Hadrian was too shocked to do anything but soon he found himself kissing back. The kiss lasted until they needed air. When they pulled apart, Hadrian was grinning widely at Tom

"I thought you'd never do that." he said and Tom sighed in relief.

"So...you wanted it too, then."

"If you mean yourself then yes. I want you. Quite possibly forever."

"Good."

Tom and Hadrian kept their change in relationship secret. It wasn't that the Wizarding World wasn't accepting of such a thing. Same Sex couples were actually quite common in the Wizarding World. No, they kept it a secret because it was no one's business but their own.

There was one positive thing that could be said about summer this year. They were seventeen years old this year and could stay in the Wizarding World. Neither of them had to ever return to the muggle world now.

They each took their apparation tests and passed beautifully. They arranged something with the owner of a pub and hotel in Knockturn Alley, meaning that they could stay there in return for working at the pub. They stayed there until school started up again.

With the new school year came some good news, Tom had been made Head Boy. Head Girl was, to Tom's dismay, Minerva McGonagall. Tom complained about the annoying Gryffindor constantly. As usual, Hadrian was surprised that the girl was still alive.

Tom spent much of the year building up his political image. As he was doing this, Hadrian resumed his Necromantic studies. He'd finally managed to get to the Astral plane and was now having quite a bit of fun talking to the spirits that wandered there. There was, of course, one Necromancer he was searching for but so far he hadn't had much luck. The Necromancer he was looking for could help him gain access to his memories from previous lifetimes after he had been reborn.

The day he found the Necromancer was one Hadrian would never forget. He'd been wandering the astral plane when he ran into him. The Necromancer explained that, in order to remember your past lives after you were reborn, you must cast a certain spell upon yourself. The spell was easy enough - for Hadrian at least - and, once he'd cast it, Hadrian remembered his past lives perfectly.

Graduation came quickly. Tom graduated top of his class with Hadrian right behind him. After graduating, Tom and Hadrian left the country together. They gathered Dark Wizards, a powerful following, and Tom was now - by most people - called Lord Voldemort. Tom had, of course, applied for a position at Hogwarts but Dumbledore, who was now the Headmaster, had denied and insulted Tom. In retaliation, Tom cursed the position.

Hadrian died the summer of their fortieth year. They, accompanied by their followers, had been leading a raid. Dumbledore, the old bastard, had appeared. Hadrian and Tom were dueling him, trusting their Death Eaters to take care of Dumbledore's own followers. Before Tom could stop him, Dumbledore shot the killing curse, hitting Hadrian directly in the 's scream of rage and grief was inhuman...

Hadrian was re-born Harry James Potter. This, while it pissed him off greatly, was not a big deal. What **was **a big deal, however, was that his parents were on the wrong side of the war. They were Dumbledore's follwers. His parents were followers of the man that had killed him. Bloody fucking great.

The first time he saw Dumbledore was...strange. His mother allowed the old man, for Dumbledore was old now, to hold him for all of five minutes before Harry screamed his way out of it. She apologized to Dumbledore as Harry scowled at the elderly man.

Harry knew he'd spent longer in the astral plane than he'd wanted to...but he had no idea how long he'd spent there. What worried him was that he'd made Tom wait. Just how long had he made his lover wait?

Halloween of his first year dawned bright and cold. He spent much of the day playing on the floor, thinking about Tom. He went to bed early that night, missing Tom and wanting out of this wretched Tom.

"It's him! Lily, take Harry and run!"

Tom was there. To kill Harry. Oh, Harry knew this. He'd been there in the Order meeting when Dumbledore told his parents what Tom was out to do. But now Tom was here.

Tom entered the room calmly, looking as perfect as he always did. He was older but he looked much the same as he always had. Before he could step closer to the crib, Harry's mother started her screaming.

"NO! Not Harry! Please, not Harry!" she pleaded.

"Stand aside you silly girl! I'm only here for the boy."

Tom killed her quickly. Harry watched her fall and then met Tom's eyes. He was resigned to death, knowing that Tom would kill him. He'd have to try harder next time...

"Avada Kedavra!"

The glowing green light hit Harry directly in the forehead, throwing him back into his crib. Tom was screaming too. He wrenched his tear-filled eyes and saw that the green light had somehow rebounded and hit Tom.

NO! NOT TOM! NOT TOM!

The last thing Harry saw before he fell asleep was Tom's body falling to the floor in a heap.

They left him on a doorstep. In November. It was bloody fucking freezing out and they left him on a doorstep. Harry was going to kill Dumbledore when he was old enough to do so. He swore it.


End file.
